Maintenance of Wax Oiled Surfaces

After installation and the first cleaning, your Timberwise flooring is ready for use. When installed correctly and used and maintained as instructed, the flooring will last for decades. Important instructions for maintaining your parquet floor:

  • Ensure that the relative humidity and temperature conditions are suitable for the parquet.
  • Protect the parquet from excess wear (for example in hallways).
  • Clean the parquet regularly (in connection with your normal weekly cleaning).

Wood is a hygroscopic material, i.e. it absorbs and loses moisture according to the humidity and temperature of the air. In practice, this means that the volume of the parquet floor increases as the relative humidity increases, and respectively, decreases as the relative humidity decreases. Relative humidity is the most important factor influencing the functionality of the parquet floor. Optimal humidity for a parquet floor is 35–60% RH and the temperature is +18–24⁰C. Not following these recommendations will always strain the parquet and weaken the functionality of the floor. This is why Timberwise recommends that room temperature and relative humidity are monitored by using a digital combination meter in all seasons.

Marks of use are part of a wood floor’s natural character. The degree and types of use must be considered in the maintenance of both wax oiled and lacquered floorings. In more-used rooms, we recommend protecting the floor with loose carpets, for example. To avoid scratches, it is recommended to attach felt pads to the ends of furniture legs.

Regular vacuum-cleaning and mopping prevents dirt from sticking to the parquet surface. When required, it is possible to order a comprehensive maintenance set for wax oiled floors from Timberwise. The set contains the following: OSMO Color Wash and Care, cleaning and conditioning wax spray and tinted or clear wax oil for correcting small scratch marks. For lacquered floorings, we recommend Kiilto maintenance products designed for lacquered parquets.

Maintaining and caring for your Timberwise floor is easy. Just follow the simple instructions presented below:

  • Maintain appropriate humidity (RH 35–60%) and temperature conditions (+18–24°C) in all seasons. In humid seasons (summer), adequate ventilation is required, and in dry seasons (winter), adequate humidity must be ensured by using, for example, a humidifier.
  • Prevent dust, sand and gravel from entering the house by placing door mats on both sides of front doors.
  • In the entryway, place plastic mats under shoes to prevent water damage.
  • Vacuum-clean and mop the floor regularly to prevent dirt from sticking to the parquet surface.
  • Use only a small amount of water in cleaning – the parquet surface must be dry within a minute of mopping.
  • Avoid using strong detergents, since they can dissolve the protecting wax oil or lacquer layer on the parquet.
  • Avoid using excess amounts of detergent, since otherwise a detergent layer will accumulate on the surface of the parquet and collect dirt.
  • Remove stains immediately.
  • Attach felt pads to the ends of furniture legs and cover the floor under office chairs equipped with wheels.

Private homes – Care and maintenance

Vacuum-clean loose dirt and wipe the flooring with a damp microfibre mop or floor cleaning cloth. Do not unnecessarily wet the floor, but always use smallest amount of water possible when cleaning wood flooring. We recommend warm water and mild detergent, e.g., Osmo Color Wash and Care, which also takes care of the floor, to be used as washing fluid. Remember to read carefully the use and dosage instructions of the detergent. If dirt cannot be removed even with a stronger oil soap solution, you can try the Care and Cleaning Wax delivered in the OSMO Color spray can.

If the surface of the wood floor has been damaged, for example, when moving furniture, you can apply OSMO Color wax oil on damaged areas. Detailed instructions for correcting scratch marks and larger damages:

Correcting scratch marks:

  • Clean the scratched area with a soft small brush (e.g. nail brush) in order to remove all dust and dirt.
    • Uncoloured floor: Treat the scratched area with a clear wax oil by using a cotton bud, for example.
    • Colour-treated floor: Treat the scratched surface with Osmo Color wood wax of a suitable colour by using a cotton bud, for example. In correcting the colour, you must also consider how the colour changes with time. Remember that the new corrected area may not look the same as the surrounding floor surface even if the tone used was the same as the tone of the original treatment.
  • Wipe off the excess wax oil after 2–3 minutes from the scratched area (if necessary, repeat the treatment until the surface is good or, in a tinted flooring, the tone is the desired one).
  • Allow the corrected area to dry for approx. 1 day and finalize the surface by applying clear wax oil.
  • Allow the treated area to dry for at least 12 hours.

For correcting larger damaged areas, please contact a professional.

Partial repair of colour-treated floors:

In oil-waxed floors UV-hardened wax oil protects the colour treatment of the parquet and the wood itself. Thus, undesired wear on the floor can be prevented by maintaining the clear surface layer in good condition. By following the instructions given above you can maintain your floor in good condition for years. If the colour surface of the floor is damaged, it can be repaired by sanding and wax oiling the damaged area again (the final surface must match the sanding of the surrounding area):

  • White floors: apply a very thin layer of white tone (e.g. Osmo Color No. 3041, 3040, 3111 according to the shade of the floor) on the damaged area and wipe the surface with a cloth in order to obtain a tone that matches the surrounding area. Allow the surface to dry. Next, apply a layer of tinted Osmo Color Hardwax Oil No. 3041 with a natural bristle brush or a lint-free cloth. Allow to dry in accordance with the instructions.
  • Dark floors: apply a very thin layer of wood wax (of the same tone as the floor) and wipe the treated area with a cloth in order to obtain the desired tone. Next, apply another thin layer of coloured Osmo Color Hardwax Oil No. 3062 with a natural bristle brush or a lint-free cloth. Allow to dry in accordance with the instructions.

Repairing a parquet flooring that has been treated with transparent tone requires extra caution, since the corrections will be much more noticeable. It is important that the new and old treatment are partially overlapping in order to mix the pigments and achieve a good result. If the flooring is heavily worn, we recommend sanding and re-treating the whole floor instead of correcting only the damaged area. In this case, we recommend contacting a professional.

NOTE! The surface structure of brushed wood flooring will change if the surface is sanded. The surface layer of Timberwise parquet is approx. 3.5 mm thick, which means that a brushed flooring can be sanded up to 3 times.

Maintenance of the whole floor:

When the floor is heavily worn and dirt has stuck to the surface, it is necessary to treat the whole floor. Start the treatment by cleaning the floor carefully by using Osmo Color Wash and Care (or similar neutral detergent). When the surface is clean and dry, repair the scratches and worn areas according to the instructions given in the section discussing correction of scratches. Allow to dry and treat the whole floor as follows:

  • White floors: apply a very thin layer of white Osmo Color Hardwax Oil No. 3041 according to the instructions given on the product. Please note that the layer must be very thin and thus one litre of this wax is sufficient to treat an area of at least 50 m2 depending on the condition of the surface. Allow to dry in accordance with the instructions.
  • Dark floors: apply a very thin layer of clear Osmo Color Hardwax Oil No. 3062 according to the instructions given on the product. Please note that the layer must be very thin and thus one litre of this wax is sufficient to treat an area of at least 50 m2 depending on the condition of the surface. Allow to dry in accordance with the instructions.

Public areas – Care and maintenance

THE FIRST MAINTENANCE OILING IS OBLIGATORY FOR PUBLIC SPACES, AND MUST BE DONE RIGHT AFTER THE INSTALLATION AND BEFORE OPENING THE SPACE TO THE PUBLIC. OPENING THE SPACE TO THE PUBLIC IS PROHIBITED, UNLESS THE FIRST MAINTENANCE OILING HAS BEEN CONDUCTED AFTER INSTALLATION.

Daily maintenance:

Remove all loose dirt, such as sand and dust. Use a vacuum cleaner (with a parquet brush), a parquet mop (not a wire mop) or a soft brush. If necessary, wipe the floor with a damp mop. Do not wet the floor unnecessarily.

Once a week or as necessary:

Perform the daily maintenance according to the instructions. Next, wipe the floor with a damp mop and a mild detergent. We recommend warm water and mild detergent suitable for wood floors, such as Osmo Color Wash and Care (formerly Wisch-Fix cleaning and conditioning concentrate). For removing difficult stains, we recommend using OSMO Color Conditioning and Cleaning Wax.

Monthly maintenance:

Remove all loose dirt, such as sand and dust. Use a vacuum cleaner (with a parquet brush), a parquet mop (not a wire mop) or a soft brush. Clean the floor with Osmo Color Wash and Care (formerly Wisch-Fix cleaning and conditioning concentrate). Mix the soap in lukewarm water, with a mixing ratio of 1:3 (1 for soap, 3 for water). Spray the washing solution with a spray can and clean the floor using a parquet mop or a floor cleaning machine. Do not use a combination machine. The right type of floor cleaning machine is heavy (approx. 30–40 kg) and operates at slow speed (150–200 rpm). Never pour water directly on the floor as the water can enter inside the flooring from the parquet joints and thus damage it. Remove dirty water from the flooring by wiping it off with a thick towel or by using a water vacuum cleaner.

Every three to six months:

Always start maintenance oiling by cleaning the floor. Clean the floor carefully according to the instructions. Repeat the cleaning if necessary. If the floor is very dirty, you can use a slightly abrasive brown disk or surface cleaning disk. Allow the cleaned surface to dry for at least a few hours in normal conditions, until the surface is dry. Do not pour oil/wax oil directly on the floor surface, if there is a risk of oil entering the floor joints. Measure the amount of detergent with a dosage bottle or cup in order to ensure that the recommended amounts are not exceeded. Read the detailed work instructions before starting the work and, if necessary, perform a test spreading in order to ensure a successful end result.

Uncoloured floor: Apply clear conditioning oil or wax oil designed for wood surfaces onto the floor surface by using a floor cleaning machine with a white disk. 1–1.5 l of this wax, when used in the correct proportions, is sufficient to treat an area of approx. 100m² depending on the wood species and the condition of the surface. You can spread the conditioning oil and wax oil by using an Osmo microfibre roller as well. Finish the oil treatment
immediately by treating the floor with a floor cleaning machine with a white disk. NOTE! If maintenance oiling is done with anti-slip products, the spreading is not finished with a floor cleaning machine.

White floor: Spread transparent white conditioning oil or tinted wax oil on the wood surface by using a floor cleaning machine with a white disk. 1–1.5 l of this wax, when used in the correct proportions, is sufficient to treat an area of approx. 100m² depending on the wood species and the condition of the surface. You can spread the conditioning oil and wax oil by using an Osmo microfibre roller as well. Finish the oil treatment immediately by treating the floor with floor cleaning machine with a white disk.

Coloured floor: Correct the colour worn off in places or a scratch by adding colour to the damaged area by using a cloth for example, in order achieve as even a tone as possible. Allow the corrected area to dry properly before oiling the area according to the instructions given below.

You can renew a slightly worn colour surface by using tinted wax oil. Add 5–10% of the shade of the flooring to the clear wax oil. Apply tinted wax oil by using a floor cleaning machine with a white disk. 1–1.5 l of this wax, when used in the correct proportions, is sufficient to treat an area of approx. 100m² depending on the wood species and the condition of the surface. You can spread the wax oil by using an Osmo microfibre roller as well. Finish the wax oiling immediately by treating the floor with a floor cleaning machine with a white disk. NOTE! If maintenance oiling is done with anti-slip products, the spreading is not finished with a floor cleaning machine.

Drying of the oil

After maintenance oiling, the surface must be allowed to dry properly before the space can be used. Allow at least 12 hours for drying of one oil layer and even longer if necessary, depending on the maintenance task conducted, the conditions, and the product. Other factors affecting the drying of oil or wax oil include, for example, temperature, humidity, ventilation, and the thickness of the layer. Ensure adequate ventilation in the room during drying.

NOTE!

  • It is recommended to attach felt pads to the ends of furniture legs.
  • Office chairs with wheels should be placed on protective carpets.
  • Do not wash the flooring with detergents that contain abrasive ingredients.
  • Use door mats.
  • Wash tools with non-aromatic or low-aromatic solvents.
  • It is a good idea to change the position of furniture and carpets regularly, to keep the colour of the floor even when exposed to Ultraviolet (UV) light.

Maintenance of wax oiled surfaces (pdf)